Study tallies the economic contribution of private forests in Oregon

View full sizeMatthew Preusch/The OregonianPrivate forests like this one near Manning in the foothills of the Coast Range supply about 80 percent of Oregon's annual timber harvest.Despite the downturn in the timber market, private forest logging is still responsible for more than 120,000 jobs in Oregon, according to a study from a national timber group.

About a third of Oregon's forests are privately owned; the bulk is federal land. Large, industrial land-holders like Weyerhaeuser make up about 6 million acres, while small woodland owners account for 4.7 million acres.

A new study (PDF) commissioned by the National Alliance of Forest Owners estimates that nationwide private forests like these contribute $277 an acre to state GDPs, while public lands contribute $41 an acre.

(Update, 12:50: Sean Stevens from Oregon Wild points out that state labor statistics show the total number of logging and mining jobs in Oregon is 7,200; however, this study assumes a direct employment figure for private forests for Oregon of over 44,000.)

In contrast, the Oregon Forest Resources Institute estimates the entire forest sector in Oregon, including things like public forest logging, firefighting and door manufacturers, contributed about $12.6 billion to the state's economy in 2000.

“While the industry is struggling from the depressed housing market and
the wider recession, it’s important to know exactly how much working
forests contribute in jobs, taxes and GDP," said Pete Stewart, CEO of Forest2Market, the consulting firm that generated the study.

"With a clear view of the
total contribution, we can better understand the consequences of public policies and market factors that limit how much work these forests can
do," Stewart said.